From: les@jmdl.com (JMDL Digest) To: joni-digest@smoe.org Subject: JMDL Digest V2003 #192 Reply-To: joni@smoe.org Sender: les@jmdl.com Errors-To: les@jmdl.com Precedence: bulk Unsubscribe: mailto:joni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe Archives: http://www.smoe.org/lists/joni Websites: http://www.jmdl.com http://www.jonimitchell.com JMDL Digest Tuesday, March 25 2003 Volume 2003 : Number 192 Sign up now for JoniFest 2003! http://www.jonifest.com ========== TOPICS and authors in this Digest: -------- Re: oscars njc [KJHSF@aol.com] Re: oscars njc ["kakki" ] Re: Oh Watchful Ones Amongst the Slaves -SJC [colin ] FW: dylan tribute NJC ["Kate Bennett" ] Re: War songs njc ["Moni Kellermann" ] Re: oscars njc [colin ] polanksi njc [colin ] Re: oscars njc ["kakki" ] Re: My last rant on Michael Moore for the day, sorry! njc [FredNow@aol.co] Re: NJC Moore is decidedly less in my book, was " njc MY BOY WON!" [SCJon] Re: oscars njc [vince ] Re: oscars - now with added jc [Jerry Notaro ] Re: oscars - now with added jc [SCJoniGuy@aol.com] Wall to Wall, Part 1 [SCJoniGuy@aol.com] Re: The Younger Generation ["mack watson-bush" ] Re: Moore is decidedly less in my book, was " njc MY BOY WON!" [Jenny Goo] Re: Shadows & Light; Woman Of Heart & Mind [Bob Shemkovitz ] Re: new mini-series/ watch the war NJC [Murphycopy@aol.com] Re: new mini-series/ watch the war NJC ["chuty001" ] the cutting if summer lawns njc [KJHSF@aol.com] RE: the cutting if summer lawns njc ["Victor Johnson" ] Wall to Wall, Part 3 [SCJoniGuy@aol.com] another anti war song njc ["Kate Bennett" ] war songs njc ["ron" ] Wall to Wall, Part 4 [SCJoniGuy@aol.com] Re: Wall to Wall, Part 2 [Randy Remote ] More quotes from the program [SCJoniGuy@aol.com] Re: Wall to Wall, Part 4 [dsk ] Re: new mini-series/ watch the war NJC [Murphycopy@aol.com] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 03:21:46 EST From: KJHSF@aol.com Subject: Re: oscars njc In a message dated 3/25/2003 1:21:45 AM Eastern Standard Time, Ricw1217@aol.com writes: > if you can't seperate the art from the artist, then > you should be consistent > > Hmmmmm. I thought Kakki's statement went something like this: > > "I do not want to take anything away from his sufferings as a > Holocaust victim and the horrible loss of his wife, and I do think he is a > brilliant director and The Pianist is one of the greatest movies I've ever > seen. Notwithstanding that, he has done, to put it mildly, inappropriate > deeds, when it comes to young girls." So there are 2 truths here. 1. He is a brilliant director. 2. He has committed a felony in the drugging and rape of a 13 year old girl. Both can be true. I'm thinking that what sickened Kakki is what sickened me and that is the ease with which the Hollywood celebrity elite can make a controversial stand in their glamour gowns from the safety of the Kodak Theater, without having to answer to the family of the victim or to the victim herself. For me, it's the same feeling I get when I watch celebrities lecturing about how greedy and self-centered Americans are. Despite the relative truth of the matter, it just strikes me as odd to be lectured on such subjects by the most self-indulgent, pampered segment of society. Furthermore, it is impossible to remove the free publicity factor from the equation with celebrities, whose livelihoods are dependent upon being in the news. So it becomes quite easy to stand up for one of your exiled own, or for some cause, when you don't have to answer the hard questions and when you are getting valuable "face time." It's all sickening to me. For example, you can never really tell if Barbra Streisand was really thrilled for Eminem, or if she's just glamming on because he's the new hot thing. It's all about self-promotion, and it's all suspect. And you know what? It's the same way with politicians, both liberal and conservative. There's a common element of a desire for fame that fuels it. Yuck. I digress. I have to wonder what the late John Huston would think if we were honoring a director who drugged and raped a 13 year old Angelica and then fled the country. No doubt he would trot out the perpetrators wounded life as an excuse and praise his talent. right. Ken ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 00:33:11 -0800 From: "kakki" Subject: Re: oscars njc Oh Ric, Always such sweetness towards me. I won't repeat your rant. I read all the information I related in the LA Times, I believe, recently. Also please check out the link Kate posted of the recently unsealed court transcripts, which is also the source of the recent news articles. Sometimes you should read before you pounce. As for my hint of MORE information, I grew up with a family member of one of Manson's victims. Kakki ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 09:26:52 +0000 From: colin Subject: Re: Oh Watchful Ones Amongst the Slaves -SJC Ricw1217@aol.com wrote: >In a message dated 3/24/03 9:19:34 PM, smarcaurele@digitalproquo.com writes: > > > > >>Yea too heavy and all I need to find is the strength to save up enough to >>move out of the environs of ground zero so I can die in dignity - it has me >>that concerned >> >> >> >> > >i'd say all you need is to have your med levels checked. sounds like its >time for an itty bitty bit more thorazine... > this is not something to make cruel jokes about...... ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 01:38:16 -0800 From: "Kate Bennett" Subject: War songs njc did anyone mention dylan's 'masters of war'? the 30th anniversary dylan tribute has a killer version by eddie vedder also 'brothers in arms' by dire straits ******************************************** Kate Bennett: www.katebennett.com Sponsored by Polysonics/Atlantis Sound Labs Over the Moon- "bringing the melancholy world of twilight to life almost like magic" All Music Guide ******************************************** "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world, indeed it is the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 01:38:22 -0800 From: "Kate Bennett" Subject: FW: dylan tribute NJC heads up to anyone in the socal area, due to the incredible success of our tribute to joni mithcell, i'm putting together another tribute show this one is a tribute to bob dylan & we have an amazing lineup so far including david west (from the 'pickin on series' & kenny edwards (linda ronstadt, karla bonoff, etc) among others... tribute to bob dylan wednesday june 4th soho restaurant & music club reservations 805-962-7776 http://www.sohosb.com/ ******************************************** Kate Bennett: www.katebennett.com Sponsored by Polysonics/Atlantis Sound Labs Over the Moon- "bringing the melancholy world of twilight to life almost like magic" All Music Guide ******************************************** "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world, indeed it is the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 10:40:16 +0100 From: "Moni Kellermann" Subject: Re: War songs njc - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kate Bennett" Subject: War songs njc > did anyone mention dylan's 'masters of war'? the 30th anniversary dylan > tribute has a killer version by eddie vedder KILLER version? hm... "peace", moni ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 09:48:57 +0000 From: colin Subject: Re: oscars njc Art is stilla rt no matter the morals of the eprson who created it. No matter how awful someone's life was/is, the raping and drugging of a child(if true) is NOT excusable or defendable. Unacceptable bahaviour is unacceptable no matter what. If this alleged child rpaist was not an artist, no one would be thinking of excusing or defending him. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 10:03:02 +0000 From: colin Subject: polanksi njc another point: sex between and adult and a minor can NEVER be consensual. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 02:17:01 -0800 From: "kakki" Subject: Re: oscars njc Colin, > No matter how awful someone's life was/is, the raping and drugging of a > child(if true) is NOT excusable or defendable. Unacceptable bahaviour is > unacceptable no matter what. I also take a hard line on this one. The victim gave a number of interviews a few months ago since it was the 25th anniversary of the event and I suppose because Polanski came into view again with the movie. She wants to put it behind her at this point. It was true what he did but at the time she and her mother were accused of lying and just out to make money. He did admit it at the time as part of a plea bargain. Here are parts from one of the recent interviews from ABCNews: http://abcnews.go.com/sections/GMA/GoodMorningAmerica/GMA030130Geimer_Polans ki.html "Polanski pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse as part of a plea agreement and he went to jail for a short time in order to undergo psychiatric evaluation. When Polanksi realized the judge intended to sentence him to more time behind bars, he fled to France." For years Polanski insisted Geimer had agreed to everything that happened that day, but several years ago he softened his tone in an interview with ABCNEWS. "I know now it was, it was not the right thing to do," he said in a 1994 interview with ABCNEWS' Diane Sawyer. "But I was, there was no premeditation, you know, it was something that just happened." The article I read recently had excerpts from the formerly sealed court transcripts and I did not recall all this detail back in 1977. Reading it now has an impact and seeing the wild cheering at the Oscars really appalled me. I don't know what the group should have done at the Oscars. I'm not saying they should have booed him or sat on their hands, but I think they took it just a bit over the top to the point of repulsiveness IMO. Kakki ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 05:07:29 -0500 From: FredNow@aol.com Subject: Re: My last rant on Michael Moore for the day, sorry! njc "Lama, Jim L'Hommedieu" wrote: >>I know the nomadic Kurds are >>thankful tonight. I doubt that we'll ever stop protecting them in my >>lifetime. Isn't that a good thing? Isn't that the highest calling a >>super-power can strive towards? Saddam Hussein was our (USA) boy when he gassed the Kurds with chemicals he bought and developed with our help and we looked the other way when he did because we were using him to whip Iran because they had thrown out our boy, the Shah. And he used those same WMDs on the Iranians, too, but not an official American peep to be heard. During the long pre-war PR buildup, Bush, et al., maintained that Hussein had to disarm if he wanted to avoid forceful deposition. So much for liberating the oppressed Iraqis and Kurds ... "lucky" for them he refused to comply. - -Fred ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 08:04:48 -0500 From: SCJoniGuy@aol.com Subject: Re: NJC Moore is decidedly less in my book, was " njc MY BOY WON!" <> I strongly disagree, Jim. Look at it this way...we're passionate about Joni Mitchell (and The Cowboy Junkies and whoever). We all try and make the world a better place by evangelizing our passion to those who may not be aware of it. Moore does the same thing, only his passion happens to be corruption & stupidity in big business and big politics, and how our awareness can maybe bring about some change. He wouldn't have risen from obscurity to popularity if his films and books and opinions didn't resonate with so many of us who also see it firsthand. As for proposing solutions, that's not necessarily his job as an artist. Look at Joni's "rant" songs...what solutions does SHE propose? The artist's job is to address & expose the injustices, the solutions are up to us as individuals. Bob NP: Joni, "River" ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 08:11:50 -0500 From: vince Subject: Re: oscars njc kakki wrote: >Vince wrote: > > > >>Whether Polanski was guilty of just a horrid mistake in judgment or an >> >> >actual > > >>criminal act, I do not know, but I have always suspected it was the >>former. And at that time period, being a Holocaust survivor having gone >>through the Manson killings losing his 8 months pregnant wife so >>brutally, I can comprehend a person who was not acting as I might prefer >>- presuming it was a horrid mistake in judgment in a consensual act as >>opposed to a criminal act. >> >> > >Vince, I do not want to take anything away from his sufferings as a >Holocaust victim and the horrible loss of his wife, and I do think he is a >brilliant director and The Pianist is one of the greatest movies I've ever >seen. Notwithstanding that, he has done, to put it mildly, inappropriate >deeds, when it comes to young girls. He admitted to it all - the drugging >and raping of the 13 year old girl and was assured he would get off by his >Hollywood advisors. However, when the judge looked at it all, he allegedly >commented to one of Polanski's friends that he was going to throw the book >at Polanski and that is when he fled. I know of other information, also, >but it would not be appropriate for me to say it here. > Kakki, you and Kate are giving me new information which helps to re-assess what I understood. Thank you both. Vince ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 08:18:57 -0500 From: Jerry Notaro Subject: Re: oscars - now with added jc Wasn't Songs to Aging Children written specifically for Alice's Restaurant? Jerry ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 13:19:54 +0000 From: colin Subject: Re: oscars njc kakki wrote: >Colin, > > > > >"I know now it was, it was not the right thing to do," he said in a 1994 >interview with ABCNEWS' Diane Sawyer. "But I was, there was no >premeditation, you know, it was something that just happened." > > > so he stillhas not takenresponsibility for his actions. It didn't just happen, he made a decision, a choice, to act as he did. It may have been a split second choice, but a choice none the less. Or does he think he was possessed? ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 08:25:48 -0500 From: SCJoniGuy@aol.com Subject: Re: oscars - now with added jc In a message dated 3/25/2003 8:18:57 AM Eastern Standard Time, notaro@bayflash.stpt.usf.edu writes: > Wasn't Songs to Aging Children written specifically for > Alice's Restaurant? Not that I've heard, Jerry...though it was performed in the film (by Tigger Outlaw when Joni declined). What made you think that it was? Bob NP: Joni, "Blue" Carnegie Hall 2/23/72 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 08:46:47 -0500 From: SCJoniGuy@aol.com Subject: Wall to Wall, Part 1 Before I get into my review of Saturday's show, I have to thank my JMDL pals who made it possible for me to experience this once-in-a-lifetime event: Paul, who had never even met me yet opened his home to me and welcomed me so openly & sincerely. Bobsart, who provided transportation and GREAT company at the Met museum and Central Park, where we had hours of enjoyable conversation on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Heather & Patrick, who shared the concert with me, and also were state-of-the-art tour guides at the Met. Rose & Nikki who made the effort to get there and enjoy the concert with me. Debra, who made so many of the arrangements, got a lot of information, and brought water & snacks to keep up our strength during the marathon. Maureen, a great pleasure meeting you and thanks for the water! Jenny, always great seeing you, especially when you bring cute friends! :~) OK, now on to the music - which I was afraid I wasn't going to see due to stalled subways, but luck was with me & I walked in to Symphony Space moments before the program began. As more luck would have it, the day was GORGEOUS and there was a big peace march planned, so there was no line to get in. Sylvia McNair - Chelsea Morning, California: Sylvia is an accomplished opera singer, and obviously a big Joni fan as well as she effortlessly navigated her way through these 2 with perfect pitch & emotion to wonderful piano accompaniment. Laurie Anderson - Both Sides Now: My first tears of the day...Laurie was scheduled for later in the program but was on her way to the peace march, so she came out early and performed BSN in a very moving fashion, singing in a multi-octave style, with lots of passion and accompanying herself on violin. Jason Moran - The Priest: Jason is a jazz pianist, and thus declared that he wasn't going to sing. Played an intense, free-form but focused interpretation of The Priest.Jason Moran/Alicia Hall - Woodstock: He was then joined by vocalist Alicia Hall, and she REALLY brought down the house, and again lots of tears in my case. Very moving, and like so many others she emphasized the pro-peace lyrics in Joni's song and showed those who may not have been aware how relevant Joni's lyrics remain after 35 years. Lucy Kaplansky - Carey, Willy: A big crowd favorite, she played Carey on the guitar, and Willy on the piano. Like she did on the radio, she intro'd Willy by saying that she played it always in private. Both of these were spot-on. Lorinda Lisitza - A theatre performer & singer from Canada, she intro'd her set with praise for Joni as a Canadian, and said that she was going to do a "Canadian" set, that is, Joni songs that referenced Canada. Her first song was an acapella Cherokee Louise, which was beautiful, and an appropriate was to present it. She used the starkness & the silence to emphasize the "punch line" that transforms the song to its darker side. She was then joined by vocalist Karen Mack & pianist/vocalist Michael Holland (who has a WONDERFUL cover of A Case of You recorded) and they launched into a fine version of Song For Sharon, with Michael providing dead-on harmonies. You could tell by watching him that this song was written in his soul. Then they delivered a fun, bouncy version of "Ray's Dad's Cadillac", into which Michael inserted a bit of "Car On A Hill" and Karen inserted a bit of "You Dream Flat Tires". This group was well-rehearsed, and it showed. They were clearly overjoyed to be there. But we had NO idea of what was to come. Part 2 to follow. Bob NP: Joni, "Carey" 2/23/72 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 07:36:43 -0600 From: "mack watson-bush" Subject: Re: The Younger Generation andrew wrote: > Well, you have to admit that what's happening now in > mainstream music is pretty horrendous. I'd take disco > over this generic mumbo-jumbo any day of the week. no kidding. me too. I don' t care what anyone says. Disco was fun, fun, fun. A world all its own and I was a part of it. Some of those tunes were very well done and had great emotions tangled up inside themselves. mack np-gino vanelli-Big Dreamers Never Sleep ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 15:36:28 +0100 From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Emiliano_Pati=F1o?= Subject: re: My favourite peace song KJHSF@aol.com suggested "The night I heard Caruso sing", by Everything but the girl I completely agree with you: the reference is from "Idlewild" album. One of the best songs I've ever heard (curiously Ben is lead vocals on this song) Let Peace, Truth, Love, Beauty & Freedom rules our world! NPIMH: Save the country: Judy Driscoll, Brain Auger & The Trinity Emiliano ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 09:41:37 -0500 From: Jerry Notaro Subject: Re: The Younger Generation - njc mack watson-bush wrote: I'll join this one. It was a great time. I had a weekly television shoe called Step by Step where we taught line dances and the Latin Hustle, Salsa, The Rope, Swing, etc. Everyone back then dressed up, went out, strutted their stuff with strangers who became friends, and danced to great music. It was a fun time that was very happy to be part of. Even our sometimes dour Joni went out dancing with the drag queens back then. Jerry >andrew wrote: > > > >>Well, you have to admit that what's happening now in >>mainstream music is pretty horrendous. I'd take disco >>over this generic mumbo-jumbo any day of the week. >> >> > >no kidding. me too. I don' t care what anyone says. Disco was fun, fun, >fun. A world all its own and I was a part of it. Some of those tunes were >very well done and had great emotions tangled up inside themselves. > >mack > >np-gino vanelli-Big Dreamers Never Sleep ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 10:15:45 -0500 From: "Heather" Subject: RE: oscars njc <> "Polanski pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse as part of a plea agreement and he went to jail for a short time in order to undergo psychiatric evaluation. When Polanksi realized the judge intended to sentence him to more time behind bars, he fled to France." Then why wasn't Polanski held without bail? How is it that he was "allowed" to flee to France? Heather (who watches WAY too much Law & Order) ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 07:19:00 -0800 (PST) From: Jenny Goodspeed Subject: Re: Moore is decidedly less in my book, was " njc MY BOY WON!" - --- "Lama, Jim L'Hommedieu" wrote: > Yeah, he's good at being "anti". Where was his > anger when the Kurds were getting gassed? Not a >peep. Oh, yeah, he was lecturing GM about bringing > jobs back to Flint, Michigan. Because, like, he grew up there, so nothing should ever change, and, like, GM owes everyone a job for, like, life, okay? Because, like, that's the way it was during his grandfather's day, okay? Goodness Lama, now *this* is simplistic. Michael's rage at GM was not based on some sort of sentimentality for the good ol' days. Flint was decimated - thousands and thousands of people lost their jobs and got in line to get government surplus bread and cheese, houses were boarded up, whole neighborhoods evaporated, all the while GM was posting record profits, moving plants to Mexico and Asia and executive salaries were going up and up and up. Of course you could argue GM doesn't owe anybody anything, but these folks grew up thinking they would be taken care of by the company. That's what they were promised. That said, I agree, Michael's tactics are sometimes purposefully outrageous and galvanizing and attention-seeking, and I was disappointed in his Oscar rant. At the end of the day though, he draws attention to areas of corruption in our system that may not have seen the light of day otherwise. Are we still friends? ;) Jenny Yahoo! Platinum - Watch CBS' NCAA March Madness, live on your desktop! http://platinum.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 10:33:28 -0500 From: Bob Shemkovitz Subject: Re: Shadows & Light; Woman Of Heart & Mind Lama wrote: > And now a word about videos that put royalty pennies in Joni's satchel and > subsidize flying the grandchildren into Los Angeles to see "Big Momma": > > The "Shadows and Light" video is available for purchase on ebay from a > reputable guy in Hong Kong and it's a compelling document of Joni's jazz > singing, the important collaboration with Charles Mingus, and some of the > world's finest performances in the singer-songwriter universe. I agree with your review! By the way, Shadows & Light is currently available on DVD from both Amazon.com and Barne&Noble.com. It's pricey, around $45.00, but well worth it for a terrrific concert plus interesting conceptual films interspersed among the songs. I've been keeping an eye on the Amazon and Barnes & Noble sites to see when they'll announce the availability of Woman Of Heart & Mind on DVD. They don't list it yet, but the CBC Life & Times site now has some brief video excerpts from the second part of the show, as well as the first. Don't know if that's been posted yet, but I thought I'd pass it along. Bob from CT ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 10:48:42 -0500 From: SCJoniGuy@aol.com Subject: Wall to Wall, Part 2 Helga Davis - God Must Be A Boogie Man/Beat Of Black Wings/Love: Like I said, we had NO IDEA what we were about to experience. Every once in a while, an artist doesn't just perform or present a song, but rather they inhabit the piece. Helga, a singer from Harlem, & her co-vocalist Marcel Blatchley accompanied by piano & bass started with 'Boogie Man', and then segued into 'Black Wings' during which Helga became Killer Kyle, feeling & emoting every line of the song in an extremely affecting way, recalling the horrors he expereinced. Even she seemed surprised at the intensity of her presentation. The 2 vocalists then traded off lines in 'Love', and tacked on to the song a sung version of The Beatitudes (The first part of Jesus' Sermon On The Mount), and when they got to "Blessed are the peacemakers" they just kept singing it, each time with more feeling and more energy. This entire piece was performed in segue, so there was never any release from the audience or from the performers. By the time the piece was over, I was literally shaking, awash in tears and trying to hold back from sobbing. I looked at Debra and she was in a similar state. We all were on our feet applauding & cheering and finally releasing what Helga had given to us. Like Debra said, Helga herself was so emotionally spent that she needed her bandmates to support her and help her offstage. This is a performance I'll remember my whole life. Stretto - Little Green: College acapella is a very important sub-genre of Joni covers. A number of her songs have been done in this style, and many are appropriated quite well. Raised On Robbery, Big Yellow Taxi, Woodstock to name a couple, have all been done to good effect in acapella. Little Green, however, is a song of very deep emotion, and to present it in doo-wop acapella fashion is just not appropriate. The vocalists were talented, always in synch and on perfect pitch, but they had NO IDEA what they were singing about, and that made this one more of a parody. Garland Jeffreys - Peoples Parties, You Turn Me On Me On I'm A Radio: Well, Garland may not have perfect pitch, but his respect for Joni & his ability to sell a song overcomes all that. With a guitar/bass/accordion backing he had a lot of fun with his 2 songs, particularly 'Radio' when he jumped down off the stage, wandered through the aisles, got the audience to sing along, and created a party atmosphere. Garland also was quoted in the program:"Joni Mitchell has stood at the vanguard of songwriters from the moment she hit the public and has remained there, paving the way for the rest of us to explore the world of music beyond three chords". Love that quote. Jane Ira Bloom - Woman Of Heart & Mind: Jane is a saxophonist, she spoke not a word but went straight to her work. Tell you the truth, it took me a while to figure out what she was playing. Now knowing what it is, I'd love to hear it again. It was NOT a straight cop of the melody, I can tell you that. Morley - This Flight Tonight, River, Chinese Cafe: A young (female) singer-songwriter, Morley had a great band backing her up, including world music legend David Amram on piano and on penny whistle flute. On This Flight Tonight, he played 2 small flutes simultaneously, one harmonizing with the other. An amazing solo. Her 'Chinese Cafe' was outstanding, hitting on all the right emotions and arrangements. She got a standing ovation - well deserved for a terrific performance. But of course in a 12-hour gig, there have to be some low points. The first one was about to come. Bob NP: Joni, "A Case Of You", Paris 6/15/72 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 10:49:15 -0500 From: SCJoniGuy@aol.com Subject: Wall to Wall, Part 2 Helga Davis - God Must Be A Boogie Man/Beat Of Black Wings/Love: Like I said, we had NO IDEA what we were about to experience. Every once in a while, an artist doesn't just perform or present a song, but rather they inhabit the piece. Helga, a singer from Harlem, & her co-vocalist Marcel Blatchley accompanied by piano & bass started with 'Boogie Man', and then segued into 'Black Wings' during which Helga became Killer Kyle, feeling & emoting every line of the song in an extremely affecting way, recalling the horrors he expereinced. Even she seemed surprised at the intensity of her presentation. The 2 vocalists then traded off lines in 'Love', and tacked on to the song a sung version of The Beatitudes (The first part of Jesus' Sermon On The Mount), and when they got to "Blessed are the peacemakers" they just kept singing it, each time with more feeling and more energy. This entire piece was performed in segue, so there was never any release from the audience or from the performers. By the time the piece was over, I was literally shaking, awash in tears and trying to hold back from sobbing. I looked at Debra and she was in a similar state. We all were on our feet applauding & cheering and finally releasing what Helga had given to us. Like Debra said, Helga herself was so emotionally spent that she needed her bandmates to support her and help her offstage. This is a performance I'll remember my whole life. Stretto - Little Green: College acapella is a very important sub-genre of Joni covers. A number of her songs have been done in this style, and many are appropriated quite well. Raised On Robbery, Big Yellow Taxi, Woodstock to name a couple, have all been done to good effect in acapella. Little Green, however, is a song of very deep emotion, and to present it in doo-wop acapella fashion is just not appropriate. The vocalists were talented, always in synch and on perfect pitch, but they had NO IDEA what they were singing about, and that made this one more of a parody. Garland Jeffreys - Peoples Parties, You Turn Me On Me On I'm A Radio: Well, Garland may not have perfect pitch, but his respect for Joni & his ability to sell a song overcomes all that. With a guitar/bass/accordion backing he had a lot of fun with his 2 songs, particularly 'Radio' when he jumped down off the stage, wandered through the aisles, got the audience to sing along, and created a party atmosphere. Garland also was quoted in the program:"Joni Mitchell has stood at the vanguard of songwriters from the moment she hit the public and has remained there, paving the way for the rest of us to explore the world of music beyond three chords". Love that quote. Jane Ira Bloom - Woman Of Heart & Mind: Jane is a saxophonist, she spoke not a word but went straight to her work. Tell you the truth, it took me a while to figure out what she was playing. Now knowing what it is, I'd love to hear it again. It was NOT a straight cop of the melody, I can tell you that. Morley - This Flight Tonight, River, Chinese Cafe: A young (female) singer-songwriter, Morley had a great band backing her up, including world music legend David Amram on piano and on penny whistle flute. On This Flight Tonight, he played 2 small flutes simultaneously, one harmonizing with the other. An amazing solo. Her 'Chinese Cafe' was outstanding, hitting on all the right emotions and arrangements. She got a standing ovation - well deserved for a terrific performance. But of course in a 12-hour gig, there have to be some low points. The first one was about to come. Bob NP: Joni, "A Case Of You", Paris 6/15/72 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 11:04:21 EST From: FMYFL@aol.com Subject: Re: oscars njc In a message dated 3/25/2003 10:17:45 AM Eastern Standard Time, chiaroscuro@snet.net writes: > Then why wasn't Polanski held without bail? How is it that he was "allowed" > to flee to France? > > Heather > (who watches WAY too much Law &Order) > Good question Heather! I have always wondered why there was no bail. (and I must watch too much Law & Order too.........I'm thinking of starting a lawn maintenance business and calling it "Lawn in Order" :~) Jimmy ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 11:13:00 EST From: MINGSDANCE@aol.com Subject: RE- peace songs now NJC How about the entire Marvin Gaye album "What's Going On." With only one or two commercial interruptions:) I still remember playing that over and over when it came out, and one that I buy over and over to replace wear. Something good to share: My sweet little old mother-in-law called her local cable company the other day to say "I did not order war and it appears on every channel, so I sure hope I'm not getting charged for it!" Gotta love em... Peace Mingus ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 10:24:32 -0600 From: "Donna Binkley" Subject: Re: NJC /Steve Polifka pc Just hate to see folks dying because of a quest for(self) glory. I AGREE!!! p.s. Donna, next time you see me, you can mess up my hair... Donna replied: No offense taken. That was mostly written tongue in cheek. I will be gentle with your hair... ha ha db - ----- Original Message ----- From: "mack watson-bush" To: "joni" Sent: Monday, March 24, 2003 11:00 AM Subject: Re: NJC /Steve Polifka pc > Donna wrote: > > > > Being from Texas doesn't make you a Republican, or a warmonger, there > > are millions of people here, but not all of us are rednecks... > > > That one rankled my feathers as well. Temporarily in Wisconsin but have > found pro-war sentiments much more profound here than in Texas. There are > millions of we Texans that find George Bush and his policies deplorable. > > mack-wondering how things will go now that Americans are actually dying (and > it wasn't just the big game after all nor a gold medal at stake) and still > trying to figure out how he feels about this mess. This message has been scanned by the E250. This message has been scanned by the E250. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 11:18:13 -0500 From: Murphycopy@aol.com Subject: Re: new mini-series/ watch the war NJC Alison E wrote: > can you all suggest > some songs i might not have thought of? Oh, also . . . John Prine's song . . . is the title "Sam Stone" or "There's a Hole in Daddy's Arm Where All the Money Goes?" - --Bob ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 11:36:15 -0500 From: "chuty001" Subject: Re: new mini-series/ watch the war NJC > Oh, also . . . John Prine's song . . . is the title "Sam Stone" or "There's a Hole in Daddy's Arm Where All the Money Goes?" > > --Bob > It was called Sam Stone. Though I think the song was talking more about the miss treatment of Vietnam vets by the American government and of course the uglieness of heroin addiction. Chuck ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 11:58:39 EST From: KJHSF@aol.com Subject: the cutting if summer lawns njc In a message dated 3/25/2003 11:06:48 AM Eastern Standard Time, FMYFL@aol.com writes: > I'm thinking of starting a > lawn maintenance business and calling it "Lawn in Order" :~) > If you start your business, can I cut lawns for you? As I look back, I think I was happiest cutting lawns. Ken ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 12:4:54 -0800 From: "Victor Johnson" Subject: RE: the cutting if summer lawns njc > If you start your business, can I cut lawns for you? As I look back, I think > I was happiest cutting lawns. All I can remember from cutting lawns is coming home covered in dirt, breathing dirt, and smelling like dirt...and I also felt really bad once when I accidentally ran over a tiny frog... Victor NP: Wayne Shorter "High Life" - --- Victor Johnson - --- waytoblu@mindspring.com Visit http://www.cdbaby.com/victorjohnson Look for the new album, Parsonage Lane, coming this spring! Produced by Chris Rosser at Hollow Reed Studios ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 12:36:11 EST From: KJHSF@aol.com Subject: (no subject) In a message dated 3/25/2003 12:05:31 PM Eastern Standard Time, waytoblu@mindspring.com writes: > All I can remember from cutting lawns is coming home covered in dirt, > breathing dirt, and smelling like dirt...and I also felt really bad once > when I accidentally ran over a tiny frog... > > Well, that's certainly the down side. The up sides for me are that I could listen to tunes on my Walkman the entire time, I would think the most amazing things while in an almost meditative state during work, I didn't have to deal with the public, or with people in general, and when the day was done, there was no sense of taking your job home with you. It was work, you did it, and when it was finished, you didn't have to consider it any longer. When I lived in San Francisco, one of the things I missed the most was the smell of freshly cut grass. Ken ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 12:38:00 EST From: KJHSF@aol.com Subject: apology sorry my last post went out untitled and without the NJC. Ken ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 10:12:24 -0800 From: "Kate Bennett" Subject: RE: oscars njc it was new to me too vince, the court transcripts were only released a few weeks ago...bill maher was the one who mentioned the details & even his panel members were suprised... >Kakki, you and Kate are giving me new information which helps to re-assess what I understood. Thank you both. Vince< ******************************************** Kate Bennett: www.katebennett.com Sponsored by Polysonics/Atlantis Sound Labs Over the Moon- "bringing the melancholy world of twilight to life almost like magic" All Music Guide ******************************************** "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world, indeed it is the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 13:14:40 -0500 From: SCJoniGuy@aol.com Subject: Wall to Wall, Part 3 Sorry #2 went out twice, I'll try and do better with this one! Lauren Flanigan - Song To A Seagull/Nathan LaFraneer/Hejira/Furry Sings The Blues/I Had A King: Imagine if you will the above songs done in medley style, sung by a coloratura soprano and accompanied by an organ-grinder accordian, an under-miked sitar, two percussionists who played everything from congas to the didgereedoo. Sound like a mess? Well it was. Lauren gets BIG points for ambition, but this performance was simply awful. There was never any focus, the musicians never seemed to be in synch with each other, or the rhythm or lyrical intent of the song, there was no one driving the melody, Lauren's voice was either sharp or flat...like I told Debra, she aimed VERY high and missed my a mile. The worst part was that SHE laid claim to 2 Hejira songs, so this was the only treatment that they rec'd. Very disappointing. Gail Ann Dorsey - Passion Play, The Wolf That Lives In Lindsay: Gail Ann put things immediately back on track. As has been mentioned, she's Bowie's bassist, but these two songs outshone anything in his repertoire. Passion Play is already in our covers collection, so I knew it would be great. She played electric guitar, which made all the chimes and haunting chords in 'Lindsay' that much more striking. And her voice is crystal clear, and being a bassist her sense of rhythm was immaculate. This was awesome! Ivy Austin - Little Green: A very straightforward reading of the song with piano accompaniment by Lanny Meyers. Christine Lavin - Urge For Going, Marcie: I like Christine, but she came off as a bit unprofessional and under-rehearsed. She was a bit too casual about it all. She honored Dave van Ronk with her performance of 'Urge', even imitating his rough growl with "The warriors of winter, gave a cold, triumphant shout", and she played it in his chordal arrangement. Marcie was a little rough in spots, she had some difficulties negotiating some of the chord changes. Like Garland Jeffreys, she knows how to sell it, but I expected a higher degree of competence from her. Suzzy & Maggie Roche - A Case Of You, For The Roses: I've always loved The Roches sound, those skin-tight harmonies. Suzzy played guitar & sang, Maggie played piano & sang, and they harmonized every word of every song. Pretty amazing considering Joni's tricky harmonic devices. Unlike Lavin, they were consummate professionals and were very well-rehearsed. And as if they weren't enough, they then introduced Jennifer Glass as a younger singer, and spoke of Joni's influence on the generations after theirs. Jennifer sang "Cactus Tree" in what Patrick described as "American Idol style" and this was a good observation, and took nothing away from the performance. Her voice was stunning, as was she from head to toe. I held my notes to the side at this point so as not to drool on them. Bob Holman - Jonicento: This was a poetry-slam kinda thing. I'm not very knowledgeable about this genre, and I could appreciate it, but it seemed a bit long and a bit pretentious to me. A "cento" is a work made up of snippets from other work (like Willy The Shake's post 9-11 composition for those who remember that). So Bob and poets Jackie Sheeler & Vicki Hudspith traded Joni lines with a teen-punk band from NJ called Minasian playing "The Jungle Line". Now I was into the music, especially the drummer playing the Burundi rhythms with his padded sticks. But the 3 poets looked like an SNL sketch. OK, trying to send these in digestible bite-size pieces, so here it goes. Much more to come! Bob NP: Joni, "Let The Wind Carry Me", Troubadour 11/17/72 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 10:24:45 -0800 From: "Kate Bennett" Subject: another anti war song njc just received this from a musician acquaintance named lori b who lives in san francisco... >in may of 2001, i recorded a sad anthem for the new record based on my ambivalence about being an american. then the airplanes hit the buildings, 9/11, and now, unprovoked, we have invaded iraq. the song, MY COUNTRY, can be heard on the site: http://www.lorib.net/mycountry/index.htm< ******************************************** Kate Bennett: www.katebennett.com Sponsored by Polysonics/Atlantis Sound Labs Over the Moon- "bringing the melancholy world of twilight to life almost like magic" All Music Guide ******************************************** "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world, indeed it is the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 21:13:28 +0200 From: "ron" Subject: war songs njc hi wottabout jona louis (sic??) and "who'll stop the cavalry" believe it or not this was a great favourite when i was up near the angola/namibia border in 80/81. (guess you had to be there to have it work cause it sure dont now :-) and as far as lyrics go i have a good laugh everytime i hear billy bragg's prophecy about dubya: When one voice rules the nation Just because he's top of the pile It doesn't mean his vision is the clearest The voices of the people are falling on deaf ears Our politicians all become careerists. They must declare their interests, but not their company cars Is there more to a seat in Parliament Than sitting on your arse? from "ideology" off "talking with the taxman about poetry" ron np - pete o'connell - poor friends ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 14:12:18 -0500 From: SCJoniGuy@aol.com Subject: Wall to Wall, Part 4 Luciana Souza - Blue, All I Want, Amelia, Jericho: Luciana's set was very pretty and very UN-pretentious. She was accompanied by Adam Rodgers on guitar, and sang while seated and played some percussion by banging the instruments on her thighs. Sounds silly, maybe, but it was very pleasant. David Krakauer - The Fiddle & The Drum: This was performed on solo clarinet. I'm not familiar with David but he's obviously a virtuoso on his instrument, playing this song over a number of octaves. Although this was obviously an instrumental, he started by reading the lyrics and commenting about how contemporary (and sadly so) they were. Theo Bleckmann - Refuge Of The Roads/Sisotowbell Lane/Sunny Sunday/Borderline: Theo is a European vocalist - performance artist who has a DEEP love for Joni. You could just see the joy oozing from him during this performance, which was also very challenging & ambitious and had to be seen to be fully appreciated. Accompanying him were John Hollenbeck on percussion and found objects, and Gary Versace on piano & accordian. Besides just singing, Theo recorded his live vocals on a machine, then played them back and harmonized with them, experimented with the rhythms and textures of his voice and its tones. While this was riveting at times, it went on a bit too long for my taste, and when the percussionist ventured away from traditional instruments and started rubbing coffee cans on guitar strings and such, it took away rather than adding to the sonic textures. But for the most part, this was a very unique and enjoyable presentation. Edie Carey - Night Ride Home: My guess is that Melissa Errico had originally laid claim to NRH, because Edie was going to do 'Come In From The Cold' but did NRH instead when Melissa cancelled. This was a straightforward girl-with-guitar performance, and was very warm & genuine. Edie's originally from NYC but is now based in Atlanta. She was very happy to be a part of W2W. She then introduced Anne Heaton, and they did a jaw-dropping gorgeous take on "Slouching Towards Bethlehem", Edie on guitar, and Anne on electric piano. Perfect harmonies and emotion, and again very moving in its timeliness. Anne Heaton - For Free: Edie split, and Anne gave a solo performance of For Free, which must be a song she's comfortable with as she seemed so relaxed and in control with it, joyfully playing & singing, and smiling. Very nice. Julien Fleischer - Conversation: Julien made the first of his 3 appearances, and he intro'd this song as a special request for someone backstage. It wasn't on the program. Julien's voice is very warm, and it was interesting to hear this song presented as a man singing to a man about being trapped in his male-female relationship. Put a very unique spin on it. His playing reminds me of the way our own Claud so effortlessly strums through it. OK, we're about 2/3 of the way through...thanks to those of you who may be interested enough to read all of this. I'm enjoying reliving it all in my mind! Bob NP: Joni, "This Flight Tonight" Seattle 2/16/72 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 11:12:31 -0800 From: Randy Remote Subject: Re: Wall to Wall, Part 2 SCJoniGuy@aol.com wrote: > By the time the piece was over, I was literally shaking, awash in tears and trying to hold back from sobbing. I looked at Debra and she was in a similar state. We all were on our feet applauding & cheering and finally releasing what Helga had given to us. Like Debra said, Helga herself was so emotionally spent that she needed her bandmates to support her and help her offstage. You mean she used the old James Brown shtick? Just kidding, this sounds amazing. > Garland Jeffreys - Peoples Parties, You Turn Me On Me On I'm A Radio: > Garland also was quoted in the program:"Joni Mitchell has stood at the vanguard of songwriters from the moment she hit the public and has remained there, paving the way for the rest of us to explore the world of music beyond three chords". To which I would add: she has helped the rest of us to explore the world of chords beyond three notes. Thanks for the great reporting, Bob! ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 14:34:58 -0500 From: SCJoniGuy@aol.com Subject: More quotes from the program In a message dated 3/25/2003 2:12:31 PM Eastern Standard Time, guitarzan@direcpc.com writes: > To which I would add: she has helped the rest of us to > explore the > world of chords beyond three notes. Touche! There were a couple of other quotes in the program: Greg Osby: "Individualism, progressive, fearless. Period." Carole Pope: "She has her finger on the pulse of the human condition" Fred Hersch: "No other singer/songwriter has so effectively combined great poetry, sophisticated harmony and impeccable musicianship. Her ability to take risks and remain true to her vision place her in a category of her own" Bob Muller: "Joni Mitchell ROCKS MY WORLD!" (not officially in the program) :~) NP: All I Want, 2/16/72 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 15:40:36 -0500 From: dsk Subject: Re: Wall to Wall, Part 4 SCJoniGuy@aol.com wrote: > > OK, we're about 2/3 of the way through...thanks to those of you who may be interested enough to read all of this. I'm enjoying reliving it all in my mind! Me, too, very much so as I read what you've written. Great reporting Bob! You're "2/3 of the way through" comment reminds me of how the announcers throughout the day would give the countdown, as in, for example, "we have 11 hours to go..." Then, after many concerts worth of enjoyable and sometimes overwhelming music, it felt shocking at one point to hear... "4 1/2 hours to go..." The time went amazingly quickly, though. That cliche about when you're having fun must be true! What a great event this was, in so many ways! In addition to the music, I also liked the community feel of it all (hey, let's put on a show!), and the warmth and enthusiasm of the staff and the various announcers and the artists. And the audience was completely into it, too. There wasn't nearly as much moving around and jostling and distractions as I expected, so obviously the place was filled with music lovers. So Symphony Space has hooked me with this event. Now, I'm wondering who next year's Wall to Waller will be... Debra Shea ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 15:41:39 EST From: Murphycopy@aol.com Subject: Re: new mini-series/ watch the war NJC Chuck writes: << It was called Sam Stone. Though I think the song was talking more about the miss treatment of Vietnam vets by the American government and of course the uglieness of heroin addiction. >> Yes, but it all goes in the big ol' war-what-is-it-good-for pot, as far as I am concerned! The reason I asked Alison about bluegrass-type music is that I thought there might be some Civil War era anti-war songs I don't know about. The only WWI and WWII songs I could think of were all pretty much pro-war, or at least about missing home or a soldier . . . but I am sure there's at least one anti-war song for every war. How about "Oh, How I Hate to Get up in the Morning?" (WWI, I think.) --Bob ------------------------------ End of JMDL Digest V2003 #192 ***************************** ------- Post messages to the list by clicking here: mailto:joni@smoe.org Unsubscribe by clicking here: mailto:joni-digest-request@smoe.org?body=unsubscribe ------- Siquomb, isn't she? (http://www.siquomb.com/siquomb.cfm)